NEAR Appoints New Reps and Distributors

NEAR—a division of Bogen Communications—recently announced the appointment of three new domestic sales representatives and three new regional distributors.

Industry veterans Lou Kerti and Bob Lewis of High Note Sales now represent NEAR in Florida, replacing recently retired Mike Chafee. Frank, Mitch, and Joyce Malitz’s firm FMJ Chicago has assumed NEAR rep duties in Illinois and Wisconsin to fill the gap left when Gary Krumpf of Omega Sales retired in late 2015. Shawn Nanney’s rep firm Savvy Marketing now covers the previously unrepresented territory of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska.

“We are very pleased to have formed alliances with these three rep firms,” said NEAR division general manager William Kieltyka. “They are all experienced reps with well-deserved reputations for passionate advocacy for their brand partners. Their brand representation skills will be immensely helpful in communicating NEAR’s premium quality message to integrators.”

Additionally, NEAR has appointed three regional distribution partners: AHA Distributing of Atlanta covering the Southeastern states, HCA Distributing for the Rocky Mountain states, and Missouri-based Skywalker AV Supply for Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska.

“We recognize that many integrators prefer to source AV products from local or regional distributors for a variety of reasons, such as fast delivery and personal service," said Kieltyka. "To better serve their needs we decided to add regional distributors in areas where it makes the most sense. These three all represent what we are looking for in distributors – strong commitment to excellent service and the skill to understand and sell premium products such as our outdoor speakers. We hope to add several more high quality regional distributors in the coming months."